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Report Of Shots Fired At University Of Oklahoma; Millions Dig Out From Huge Snowstorm; 3,000 Flights Canceled Tuesday; Russia Responding To Olympic Threats; Skater Tells Parents To Skip Olympics; $140,000 In Gifts, Clothes And Bling; GOP Abortion Stance; Former Virginia Governor Indicted

Aired January 22, 2014 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, three different countries get e- mails warning of a terrorist threat at the Sochi Winter Olympic games. The U.S. is offering to help with security, but will the Russians accept the offer?

Also right now, Edward Snowden flat out denying he's a Russian spy. He tells a reporter he ended up in Moscow because that's where the State Department wanted him.

Also right now, Louis Vuitton shoes, iPods, and a Rolex watch, all on the list of illegal gifts that Bob McDonnell allegedly accepted. But is the case against the former Virginia governor a slam dunk?

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington. All of that coming up but right now, there are reports, disturbing reports, of shots being fired on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Campus and local police are responding, we're told. We don't know whether anyone has been wounded. The university is advising all students and faculty in place -- in fact, everyone on the campus, to shelter in place.

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-recurring situation. Only yesterday, at Purdue University, we saw a similar shelter in place warning being released after shots were fired there. This one at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. You're looking at live pictures courtesy of our affiliate, KOCO. Once we get more information, we'll update you. But right now, everyone on the campus is being told to, quote, "shelter in place."

Let's go to the northeast right now where 10s of millions of people are struggling to dig out from the biggest snowstorm of the season. This powerful arctic blast is affecting multiple states and major cities, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and New York City. Schools and businesses are closed and there are thousands of stranded travelers on the roads and in the airports. Adding to all this misery, bone-chilling temperatures.

Chad Myers is in Massachusetts. Margaret Connelly is over at LaGuardia airport in New York. Let's start with Chad in Plymouth, Massachusetts. That's a town -- I take it you got a lot of snow, buried in snow, is that fair? How bad is it, Chad? CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think it's as bad as everything I ever saw in Williamsport or up into Buffalo, Chikowagowa (ph) where I live. Sometimes lake effects snow because now I believe we're getting ocean enhanced snowfall.

I haven't gone over this hill yet. But -- so, this might end up on YouTube. But this is how much snow we have and I'm not even getting down to the ground, Wolf. Easily three feet of snow here. And this is obviously part of some that was plowed. But when it gets plowed, you can see that it just gets drifted.

And, again, one drift after another as the winds blow 30, 35, 40 miles per hour all day long today. And on the radar, we're seeing an enhanced area of snow from Barnstable all the way up here to Plymouth. And that snow is going to be there for a long time. We could pick up another six inches of snow, especially south of here and all the way down toward Barnstable and the south shore.

So, we'll keep watching it but I'm telling you I have seven layers of things on here. They say dress in layers. I did. I tried it. I have five shirts on, I had two wind breakers on and with this wind at 15 below zero, wind chill factor, I'm still cold out here. I can only be out here maybe 10 or 15 minutes before really everything starts to shut down. My fingers get cold. My nose gets cold. My mouth starts to not work anymore. And, obviously, your toes get cold, too.

So, if you're outside or if you're seeing someone outside, try to at least understand that they don't want to be outside for long, like dock workers or your flight attendants outside or the guys who are trying to load your bags on the plane. Kind of give them a break today. It's cold out here.

BLITZER: Yes, it certainly is. Any relief in sight from the brutal cold, Chad?

MYERS: No, I don't think so. I don't see it. We have this ridge in the west and it has broken records in San Francisco and L.A. for days now, maybe weeks. That ridge is making all the heat out west. But what goes up must come down. That jet stream is diving all the way down to Georgia and allowing all of this cold air to come straight down into the northeast, and I don't see an end to that for 14 days. And you know, less than 14 days from now, there's a Super Bowl not that far from here.

BLITZER: Yes, in New Jersey, northern New Jersey, outside of New York City. All right, thanks, Chad. We'll get back to you. Go inside, warm up a little bit.

The weather causing major problems for travelers, not just in the northeast but the spillovers as far as air travel is concerned, significant. Roads, meanwhile, are packed with snow and ice, making for some very anxious driving. And if you're trying to fly, once again, expect delays and cancellations. Margaret Connelly is over at LaGuardia airport in New York City. What's it like there today, Margaret?

MARGARET CONNELLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there are more cancellations at LaGuardia this morning than there were yesterday morning at this time. But the good news is that operations are expected to resume back to normal by this afternoon. Now, there are about 4,000 flights that take off from this region every day, 20 percent of them have been cancelled today. But that is better than yesterday. You can see a lot of people behind me checking in. This is a lot more activity here.

Yesterday at around 5:00, there were no flights taking off out of here at all. And all of the airlines are handling this situation differently. Delta, for example, they have cut down significantly on air traffic from JFK and from LaGuardia, United. They have cut down on short haul flights.

So, the reminder from the airlines and from TSA is to check with your airlines before you come to the airport. The airlines are also saying, check online versus social media or calling in because that's going to be a lot faster -- Wolf.

BLITZER: It certainly will. All right, thanks very much, Margaret. We'll get back to you. Other news we're following, the 2014 Sochi winter Olympic Games only just about two weeks away. Russian security service forces are on high alert right now. They're responding to multiple threats from different people and different groups. But as the former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani says, the threats aren't just because of lasting political unrest in Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: The minute you hold the Olympics in a place, whether it's Salt Lake City or it's Rio de Janeiro or it's London, you have actually brought all the world problems to you. So, yes, Sochi is dangerous because it's close to the caucuses. However, the minute you have an Olympics, every one of these causes gets attracted to you and you've got to have enormous security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. We're learning, Barbara, that a terror threat e-mail was sent to the Olympic committees of Hungary, Italy and Germany. Are those threats being taken seriously?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, so far, we are being told that officials at the International Olympic Committee say, no, not for this particular threat. They don't think it's a genuine threat. They think it's some sort of random e-mail from the public. But that really has not eased concerns and worries, as you know, about the Sochi Olympics.

Security officials in Russia are said to be looking for several suspects, so-called Black Widows, women that are -- will be claiming to carry out terrorist attacks, they believe, as part of the Islamic insurgent groups, the fundamentalist groups in this region of Russia. They're also looking for several men. So, while this latest e-mail threat may not be of as much concern, it certainly has done nothing to ease overall worries about the games -- Wolf. BLITZER: As you know, the president, President Obama, called Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday to discuss a whole bunch of subjects but also Olympic security. What specifically is the U.S. offering Russia as far as security help?

STARR: Well, this is fascinating and unprecedented as far as anybody can see. What the two sides -- two militaries are now talking about is IED bomb detection equipment. The same kind of bomb detection equipment the U.S. military has used against those roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Top military officials have met with Russian military officials to say, look, we have some technology, you have some technology. Can we get together and share for the Olympics? Looking now at the -- at the specifics of whether U.S. equipment, military equipment, would be compatible if the Russians do go ahead and ask for it to be sent to Sochi.

And, of course, the Russians would have to ask. It then raises the question of whether a small number of U.S. troops would have to go along to operate the equipment. And then, you get into the politics because, of course, the Russians are very proud, very much in charge of the security of the games. And it's not at all clear how much political authorities in Russia are willing to ask for U.S. help -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks very much. A very disturbing situation unfolding there. Athletes and their families won't arrive, by the way, in Sochi for several days yet. But American speed skater, Tucker Fredricks, has already asked his family to stay home. He's worried about their security if they were to go to Sochi.

Our own Nick Paton Walsh is on the ground in Sochi right now. He's joining us on the phone. Take us a little inside. What's it like? What are you seeing as far as security preparations on the ground, Nick?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): It's quite remarkable, actually. I've been to this town before when it was embracing itself the way it is. And it wasn't too much the difference when I got off the plane this afternoon. There were a number of people in track suits there to greet those arriving for the Olympics.

But as you drive in towards the town, you notice the fact that some streets are emptied. There seem to be the occasional cordon put up. It's still early days so all of the various dragnets and cordons aren't as firmly in place as they could be. But you do see, eventually, the Olympic area. That is pretty extensively cordoned off.

I tried to actually get my accreditation to go in today, but the computer system was down, therefore they weren't able to dish out badges to a whole number of people. One man in front of me, in fact, saying that was his third attempt to try to get to the accreditation badge. But in terms of the visibility security on the streets, it's not palpably leaking out to you at this point.

I mean, I did today see a shift change of dozens of Russian police marching off in one particular direction. There's a lot of fences, a lot of areas where people simply can't go. But you don't get that sense like you do, for example, in Chechnya, a neighboring Republic here where there used to be check points literally every half mile or so.

What's remarkable, Wolf, though is the simple decision to hold an event like this in an area like this. I've been coming here for 10 years. This is a place where violence, bombings, shootings, assassinations have become routine, frankly. And no matter what the Russian federal government has tried to do to suppress it, they have become routine. So, the decision to try and bring a game like this and all the international scrutiny. Of course, they've shed a light on something Russia has been trying to keep under a carpet for quite a period of time.

But here is the real (INAUDIBLE) of Vladimir Putin. He came to power suppressing separatists in this particular region. Now 14 years, more or less, of him being the leading figure inside Russia, they've got this enormous international show, in one of -- frankly, one of his favorite parts of the country. And it's exactly those separatists he originally fought. Now, hardened into radical Islamist extremists who might be the ones to globally embarrass him -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I know 10s of thousands of folks are trying to get to Sochi to see some of these winter Olympic Games. Is there room in that so- called security bubble that they have created around Sochi for everyone to be protected?

WALSH: I think it's fair to say, unless you have a ticket to come and see part of the games, then you probably are unlikely to come down here, given the noise about security threats. Those people able to get inside that major cordon, a lot will be kept out, a lot of them will be the residents of Sochi or perhaps who come down to assist with the games or even people who are simply trying to soak up the atmosphere. I've got to be honest with you, at this point, there is not much of a sense of fun or festivity. This is a town bracing for something. It's not quite sure what is going to come next.

I think the (INAUDIBLE) jubilation gets under way when the area is flooded with VIPs. But right now, it's muted, extraordinary preparation, some last-minute painting. In fact, one remarkable thing (INAUDIBLE) ordinary homes of Sochi at times (INAUDIBLE) are being covered up by a very regimented, very routine (INAUDIBLE) fence that's been erected along main of the -- a lot of the main roads here. It's almost like a shield to the real Russia for many visitors.

So, it's going to be fascinating time purely for what this means to the Putin administration if nothing goes wrong and there are a lot of people here deeply nervous, simply because of where we are in the world. A region that's been racked by turmoil for well over two decades.

BLITZER: Well, let's hope it stays quiet. Good luck over there. Nick Paton Walsh is already in Sochi on the ground for us covering these winter Olympic Games. A silver Rolex, two gold Oscar de la Renta dresses and a whole lot of designer shoes. The former Virginia governor and his wife now accused of accepting $140,000 in illegal gifts. And we have details of the indictment when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Want to update you on what's going on on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. We've just received a statement from the public affairs office at the university. It says this, "as of this time, no evidence has been found of any shots being fired. There are no injuries reported at this time. Both the Norman and Oklahoma University Police Department have very quickly responded, as well as emergency personnel. President Boren," that's David Boren, the former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, "is at the scene. Normal campus operations have resumed, except for Gould Hall where additional checking is continuing." That's the official statement from the University of Oklahoma. We're going to continue to monitor what's going on.

Earlier, just a little while ago, the local authorities did issue an order to everyone on campus, faculty, students, everyone else to, quote, "shelter in place," but it looks like that has gone away, except for Gould Hall, where additional checking, they say, is continuing.

We'll monitor the situation. Maybe we'll speak with the president of the university, David Boren, and get an update from him. But we'll see what's going on and update you as soon as we get more information.

Anti-abortion demonstrators are braving the cold to rally in the nation's capital. Thousands are taking part. Organizers call it the March for Life. It's billed as the world's largest anti-abortion event. The theme this year is to promote adoption as an alternative to abortion. The march comes on the 41st anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision at the United States Supreme Court legalizing abortion.

The abortion issue is front and center at the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee that begins today here in Washington, D.C. In fact, the RNC took a break from the meeting to allow members to attend the anti-abortion march. Republicans have gone through a period of soul-searching since losing the 2012 presidential contest. So what are some of the strategies they're discussing at their winter meeting that begins today? Our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, is joining us.

Gloria, as you know, some of these factions are urging Republican candidates to take a tougher stand on abortion. This is obviously a very sensitive issue out there. What's going on here?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, Wolf, you have a Republican Party that in the last presidential election, President Obama won with women by 11 points. That's something they have to pay attention to.

What some Republicans are saying is, look, we can't just let the Democrats say we're waging a war against women without responding to it. And so what some Republicans are saying is, look, the public is with us on certain issues. Certain issues like parental consent, for example, before a child would be able to get an abortion. Being against late-term abortions, for example. Polls show the public is with Republicans on that.

So what some Republicans are saying is, look, there have to be issues that we can talk about in records regards to women that we shouldn't shy away from. And, Wolf, as we all know, just about a month or so ago, the congressional campaign committee for Republicans actually sent out a memo about how Republicans need to learn to talk about women's issues in a different and better way. So that's two sides of the coin. One is to go at it frontally, and the other side is to say, look, you know, maybe we have to learn to talk to women differently.

BLITZER: Because they lost the women's vote pretty significantly in 2012, 2008, as well.

BORGER: Eleven points. Eleven points.

BLITZER: Yes, in the presidential contest. Young people, they lost that vote.

BORGER: Yes.

BLITZER: Minorities, they lost that decisively. African-Americans, Hispanics. Older white men, they still retain especially in the South. So Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, as you know, a year ago he had an autopsy review.

BORGER: Right.

BLITZER: What happened, what they need to know - to do to broaden the base to win over some of these groups. How are they doing in terms of learning some of those lessons?

BORGER: Well, I think there are two different sides to this. One is the Reince Priebus policy approach, Wolf, about the mechanics of an election, for example. And what they're saying is, look, we're not going to have as many presidential debates as we had. That didn't do us any good last time around. And maybe we're going to move up our convention to differentiate ourselves.

Then there's the congressional side of it. And on the congressional side, I would have to say, they haven't moved on immigration. You want to -- you had a huge disparity with the Hispanic vote. They haven't even moved on incremental changes on immigration, which a lot of Republicans - I believe including the House speaker, John Boehner, would like to see. And so they're -- you know, again, they haven't yet moved on the inclusion front, because, don't forget, the Republican Party lost the popular vote in five out of the last six presidentials. And that's really problematic for them if they want to do well and win back the White House. They can - they can win some seats in the upcoming 2014 midterm elections because of the way congressional districts are drawn, but as they look towards the White House, which is the big prize, they have to figure out a way to attract more voters in urban areas in this country.

BLITZER: As you know, Ken Cuccinelli, the former attorney general of Virginia, he was on "Crossfire" last night.

BORGER: Right.

BLITZER: He ran unsuccessfully to become the governor of Virginia. But he urged the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, to step down as the chair, the new chair of the Republican Governors Association, because of all of this problems resulting from that closure of a couple lanes going up to the George Washington Bridge. Listen to what Ken Cuccinelli said on "Crossfire."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN CUCCINELLI (R), FORMER VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Just from the perspective of setting aside this as an issue in other races, it makes sense for him to step aside in that role. He does not serve the goals of that organization by staying as chairman.

NEWT GINGRICH, HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Look, let me ask you -

VAN JONES, HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Well, and I -

CUCCINELLI: And that doesn't -- that doesn't mean any of the charges, political or otherwise, are substantive or not. It doesn't matter. Perception is reality and that -

JONES: Well then why -

CUCCINELLI: (INAUDIBLE) organization -

JONES: People have said about Chris Christie this whole time, it's all about Chris Christie. It's a party of one. Why would a Chris Christie who cares about Republicans, cares about people like yourself who are running for office, why wouldn't he step down? Why do you think he's not stepping down?

CUCCINELLI: Well, frankly, I think this is still relatively new. And he may well step down. I don't - I have no idea what his thinking is on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Is Cuccinelli alone on this? Are other Republicans urging Chris Christie to step down?

BORGER: Well, there's a little back story here, Wolf, as there is to most things in politics. And that is that Chris Christie did not go out and campaign for Ken Cuccinelli when he was running for governor in the state of Virginia. So I don't think there's any love loss there. Reince Priebus told Dana Bash and Dan America (ph) this morning that he doesn't think Chris Christie should step down. Priebus being the chairman of the Republican National Committee.

So this is sort of the first -- the first whiff we've gotten of this. But I think you also have to understand where it's - where it's coming from. I don't see any ground swell out there for Chris Christie to step down as head of the Governor's Association.

BLITZER: Yes, and he debuted out in southern Florida, south Florida this past weekend --

BORGER: Yes, he's raising money.

BLITZER: Raising money for Rick Scott, the Republican governor, the incumbent of Florida's up for re-election. He's - I would be shocked if he decided to step down, unless -- unless there's some hard evidence directly linking him to some of these allegations. We haven't seen that hard evidence yet, but there are investigations underway.

BORGER: (INAUDIBLE).

BLITZER: Gloria, thanks very much.

BORGER: Uh-huh.

BLITZER: He admits using poor judgment, but the former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell, emphatically denies that he did anything illegal. The feds have now indicted McDonnell and his wife on charges of accepting illegal gifts. They're actually accused of accepting $140,000 in designer clothes, jewelry and other items from a Virginia businessman. Charges include fraud by a public official, making false statements and obstruction. Our justice reporter, Evan Perez, is joining us now with more.

Evan, the gift list is capturing a lot of attention. Tell us a little bit more about some of the items that this couple received.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, beyond the Oscar de la Renta dresses, there was a $10,000 dress and a Rolex watch that the governor's wife, the first lady of Virginia, Maureen McDonnell, had asked from a donor. There is a long list of things that the federal government says were gotten by the first couple of Virginia, including $120,000 worth of loans, multiple flights on private jets to golf destinations, for instance Cape Cod, $20,000 in designer clothes for the first lady, $15,000 for the daughter's wedding catering.

And there's also this matter of some stock purchases. According to the federal prosecutors, Maureen McDonnell was looking to get some stock in the company owned by this donor, this friend, whose name is Jonnie Williams, and who owned a company that was - it was a dietary supplement company. He was trying to get more state attention from it. He was trying to make sure that the governor's office could perhaps use his power to endorse the product, to encourage the state universities to do some research on it. That's what the allegation is, according to federal prosecutors.

Now, you know, this -- the list, as you said, is pretty long. And it looks pretty damning for the governor and the first lady because, according to what the prosecutors are saying, you know, they were using the offices of the governor to essentially boost this company. And in return, they were getting money and loans and so on from this friend, Jonnie Williams.

BLITZER: Yes. And we'll see what happens. A lot of legal experts say it's not necessarily a slam dunk, this case, but we'll see what happens in the days, weeks and months to come.

Evan Perez, thanks very much.

Fireworks flying at the start of the Syrian peace conference. We're going to tell you who was butting heads when we go to Switzerland outside of Geneva, Montrose, when we come back.

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